Latson, Jani To Be Honored at Leadership Graduation

McLean County's Multicultural Leadership Program will honor Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal leader and McLean County YWCA Director Dontae Latson at MCLP's April 22 Class of 2017 Graduation Celebration.

Jani and Latson

The Graduation Celebration is an event that recognizes the hard work of service-oriented local citizens. Latson will be awarded the MCLP's Community Service Award for a Local Community Leader, while Tejas Jani will receive the Community Service Alumni Award. Jani is State Farm android test lead and a 2014 MCLP grad.

Kira Hudson Banks

Speaker for the graduation is Kira Hudson Banks, Associate Professor of Psychology at Saint Louis University and racial equity consultant for the “Forward through Ferguson” Ferguson Commission. The Edwardsville native will address diversity and inclusion; her work has been published in journals such as Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology and American Psychologist.

Banks argues inclusivity "requires the vulnerability to have an acknowledgement and a humility to realize that we all have biases.”

Reservations for the celebration are available through Thursday. Visit http://public.bn-mclp.org/even…/graduation-celebration-2017/ for information.

Interfaith Event Rallies Twin Cities Toward Support, Inclusivity

An estimated 250-300 Twin Cities residents gathered on the steps of the McLean County Museum of History Wednesday night to stand up against religious intolerance.

“We are all Muslims tonight. We are all Christians tonight. We are all Jews tonight. We are all members of the same community tonight,” proclaimed Michael Gizzi, co-organizer of a Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal-sponsored rally at the former courthouse.

The candle-lit event, aimed in large part at demonstrating solidarity with community Muslims at a time of heightened political controversy and campaign rhetoric, was also sponsored by First Christian Church, New Covenant Community, the Presbytery of Great Rivers interfaith group, and Moses Montefiore Temple in collaboration with the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal and Masjid Ibrahim mosque.

Speaking at the rally -- characterized by Bloomington City Council member and NIOT leader Karen Schmidt "an amazing expression of the best in our community" -- were Mayor Tari Renner; the Rev. Kelley Becker of First Christian Church; the Rev. Bob Ryder of New Covenant Community; Gizzi, moderator-elect of Presbytery of Great Rivers; interim Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe of Moses Montefiore Temple; Brother Mohammed Zaman, president of Masjid Ibrahim; Sherheryar Muftee of the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal; and NIOT member Mike Matejka.

"To our Muslim friends and neighbors, we stand with you as we would stand for ourselves," Dubowe said. "In 1939, during the horrors of the Holocaust, it was said that we let fear win. Today, we cannot make the same mistake."

"Honestly, this is a night I haven't experienced before," said Zaman. "I am so humbled and so overwhelmed to see these lovely faces on this chilly evening supporting the Muslim community of Bloomington-Normal.

"As a citizen of the United States and a member of this blessed community, and on behalf of Twin-City Muslims, I sincerely convey from the bottom of my heart our deepest condolences to the victims and their families who are affected by the heinous acts of extremists throughout the nation and the world at large.

"We very strongly condemn the acts of violence," added Zaman. "The people who commit these violent acts ... embarrassing this peaceful religion and making a bad name for Islam, we denounce you totally and unequivocally."

Sheheryar Muftee with the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal said it was great to see so many people come out and support the cause.

For WMBD's coverage of the event, go to http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/twin-cities-hold-interfaith-rally-for-peace

“It’s just overwhelming that we have folks here in our town and in our country that support the minorities the way that is meant to be enshrined in our constitution,” Muftee said.

Normal Community High School teacher Kelly Keogh said it’s important to battle back against the hateful rhetoric towards Muslims.

“I think it’s important that we do, when you hear statements like that and these flippant statements when people say such hateful things, that we do stand together and say, ‘Not in our town.'”

The rally was not confined to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim viewpoints: Normal Community High School student Aishwarya Shekara decided to give up some time studying for finals to stand Wednesday night in a show of solidarity with the Twin City Muslim community.

"I have finals today, tomorrow, Friday ... but this is important," said the 16-year-old Indian-American, who is Hindu.

"I think it's amazing that we can support our community members, especially with everything that is going on and people feeling so scared. Like all of this fear — we need an outlet. We need to be able to educate ourselves and others."

"Nobody came to protest us. It's nice to see everyone coming together for such an important cause," said Normal Community West High School senior Ceil Steinbacher-Kemp. "I think this is a really good town because there is not a lot of, at least, open backlash."

Mary Broad, 88, of Bloomington, attended with her son, Bob Broad, and grandson, Dylan Hile-Broad.

"I wanted to demonstrate that there are people who are not as irrational toward Muslims or others that we hear about in the news," Mary Broad said.

"I will admit that I am generally an apathetic person, but a lot of the rhetoric leveled at minorities and Muslim Americans, in specific, is very, very deeply worrying," Hile-Broad added. "It really crosses the line."

Contributions from The Pantagraph, WJBC, and WMDB TV. Photos from Mike Matejka, Michael Gizzi, and Darlene Miller.

Interfaith Rally to Show Unity, Promote Freedom

Lenore Sobota

The Pantagraph

Amid anti-Islamic rhetoric elsewhere in the country, the anti-discrimination group Not In Our Town hopes to bring people together Wednesday in an interfaith show of solidarity.

The event, at 6 p.m., is planned for the east side of the McLean County Museum of History downtown — the same side where the World War II memorial refers to the “four freedoms” outlined by former President Franklin Roosevelt, including “freedom of worship” and “freedom from fear.”

The Rev. Kelley Becker of First Christian Church, Bloomington, a co-sponsor of the event, said much of the reaction in the wake of attacks in Paris and California is based on fear.

“Fear is so powerful,” Becker said. “We believe love is more powerful than fear.”

The purpose of the event to show “our Islamic brothers and sisters” that “this community is a safe, welcoming place.”

In announcing the event, organizers encouraged people of all faiths or of no particular faith to stand together to show that stereotyping of groups is not acceptable in the Twin Cities.

Other co-sponsors include New Covenant Community, the Presbytery of Great Rivers interfaith group and the Moses Montefiore Temple, in collaboration with the Islamic Center of Bloomington-Normal and Masjid Ibrahim Mosque.

Mike Matejka, a member of Not In Our Town since it began 20 years ago in Bloomington-Normal, said, “Every movement, group, religion has extremists in it. That doesn't mean that every follower of that movement or religion is an extremist.”

He said Wednesday's event is an opportunity to take a stand and let the local Islamic community know “we're not going to fall into the trap of hatefulness.”

In the event of inclement weather, the event will take place at Major Hall, First Christian Church, 401 W. Jefferson St., Bloomington.

But Becker is hopeful the event can stay outside.

“The idea of coming together in full view of the entire community is a good thing,” she said.

In addition to representatives from various faiths saying a few words, those gathered will also light candles, said Becker, adding, "Lighting candles is so much a part of many faith traditions.”

Matejka acknowledged that some people think the efforts of Not In Our Town, such as posting anti-racism signs, are superficial.

But Matejka said, “It's important that publicly we reinforce those stances, that we're a community that works hard not to just tolerate, but to celebrate our diversity.”

Unit 5 Passes Not In Our School Resolution

The Unit 5 School District Board Wednesday passed a historic, student-presented "Not In Our School" resolution that formally sets down standards for addressing bullying and fostering inclusivity:

McLean County School District Not In Our School Resolution 
WHEREAS, bullying and intolerance has become a daily occurrence on many school campuses and in towns and cities across the nation; 
WHEREAS, bullying can take many forms, including verbal, physical, and most recently in cyberspace, and can happen in many places on and off school grounds;  
WHEREAS, history has tragically taught us what happens when people stand by and allow acts of bullying, intolerance, and hatred to occur; 
WHEREAS, it is important for parents, students, teachers, and school administrators to be aware of bullying, and to encourage discussion of the problem as a school community;  
WHEREAS, by teaching students to embrace differences, have empathy, and become upstanders who stand up for themselves and others, we create a safer school climate and prepare them to be upstanding citizens;  
WHEREAS, students, educators, and community members across the country who have started Not In Our School campaigns have been successful in opposing all forms of bullying and harassment;  
WHEREAS, schools and communities nationwide have used Not In Our School resources to create safe and inclusive environments where students feel accepted and belonging and can focus on their studies; 
WHEREAS, we, the Board of Education of McLean County Unit District No. 5, oppose any manifestation of bullying, harassment, prejudice and all forms of intolerance towards any group or individual; 
WE the Board of Education of McLean County Unit District No. 5, together with students and faculty across our District and the country, resolve to stand up against bullying and intolerance and actively work to make our campus free from discrimination and hatred. We also resolve to promote safety, inclusion, and acceptance, joining thousands of others to say with one voice, "Not In Our School.”  

Kelley: Church affirms commitment to One and All

Rev. Kelley Becker

Associate Minister, Bloomington First Christian Church

Bloomington's First Christian Church takes seriously God’s call to welcome everyone to the Table. In our faith community, the Table is the communion table, but we believe this welcome extends to all tables in all places.

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Our involvement in the NIOT campaign is a natural extension of that call. We are overjoyed to be the sponsors of the new NIOT quilt and to be part of this community-wide group that stands with our brothers and sisters who have been excluded from community; from a sense of belonging.

Our desire is to reach out to our neighbors in Bloomington-Normal and to be a safe, inclusive, compassionate place of service and worship. To that end, beginning in January, we are starting a new, progressive worship service. The service is called One and All. It will be at 10:15 a.m. on Sundays. The service will feature radical hospitality, inclusive language and social justice themes. We invite anyone who is searching for a place to belong to join us.

Everyone is welcome at First Christian Church, where All Means All.